Dental clamp



(No Model.)

J. A. DUNN. DENTAL CLAMP.

No. 578,729. Patented Mar. 16, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. AUSTIN DUNN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DENTAL CLAM P.

SPEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,729, dated March16, 1897.

Application filed January 15, 1896. Serial No. 575,637. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J. AUSTIN DUNN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,- haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Clamps, of whichthe following is a description.

My invention relates to dental clamps, and has for its object to providea new and improved dental clamp for holding the rubber dam and gum outof the way while excavating and filling cavities about the necks ofteeth, and is particularly adapted to be used upon incisor, cuspid, andbiouspid teeth.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a View of a clamp embodying my invention in position upon a tooth.Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig.2, showing the shape of the inner jaw of the clamp at the point where itmakes contact with the tooth. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4: 4, Fig. 2.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

In filling front teeth, for example, it is necessary to provide a rubberdam, and to also provide means for holding the rubber dam in place, andalso for holding the gum away from the cavity to be filled.

The object of my invention is to provide a clamp which may be easily andquickly applied to the tooth with a minimum amount of pain to thepatient and which when placed in position will not be easily movedduring the ordinary operation of excavating or filling the teeth.

My clamp consists of the outer or labial jaw A, adapted to engage theouter side of the tooth, and the inner jaw B, adapted to engage thelingual side of the tooth. The labial jaw A consists of a loop adaptedto encircle the cavity, so that free access may be had thereto, and isprovided with a projecting part or arm adapted to engage the inner jaw.The inner j aw B is doubled upon itself, so as to produce a loop 13, therear end B being bent downwardly, so that when in position it issubstantially parallel with the labial jaw. The projecting end of thelabial jaw passes loosely through an opening in the loop B? and isprovided with a screw-threaded opening, through which passes the screwA, adapted to engage the projection B on the inner jaw. The inner jaw Bhas a peculiar curve, and the whole is so arranged that when placed, forexample, upon an upper tooth O the outer or lower end containing thecontrolling device is in such a position that the opposed lower teeth donot come in contact with it when the teeth are closed, and hence willnot engage it, so as to remove the clamp from the tooth or change itsposition, thus necessitating an adjustment and causing the patientneedless pain.

If the lower teeth engage any part of the clamp, they engage theinnerjaw B, and hence if the clamp is moved at all it will not be moved insuch a direction as to change its position with relation to the cavity,so that a new adjustment will be necessary. The end of the jaw B thatengages the lingual side of the tooth is of a peculiar construction, asshown in Fig. 3, being concave on its inner side, so as to conform tothe linguo-gingival ridge of the tooth. When the end of the jaw or beakis constructed in this manner, it conforms to the shape of the tooth andwhen in position will not tend to draw or pull the clamp out of placewhen the thumb-screw is tightened. This construction also allows theclamp to be placed in different positions on the tooth, as the beak willfit the linguo-gingival ridge even when moved around to the side of thetooth. The contact end of the inner jaw 13 instead of being bent so asto be substantially at right angles with the jaw, as is the ordinarycustom in these clamps, is given a gentle curve, as shown, which allowsit to be slipped under the gum without giving the patient unnecessarypain. The labial jaw is provided with the adjustable beak A This beak isprovided with four bearing-surfaces of unequal size, so that it mayconform to any-sized tooth, each bearing-surface beingpreferablycurved,as shown. The beak is pivoted to the jaw, so that any one of thesebearing-surfaces may be used when desired. Since the beak is pivoted tothe jaw, it moves with relation thereto, and hence when in engagementwith the tooth will conform to the shape of the tooth and allow a firmgrip of the tooth without throwing the clamp out of position, which isthe natural consequence when the beak is rigid with the jaw.

In attaching the clamp to the tooth the jaws are separated by looseningthe thumb-screw and are slipped in position on each side of the tooth.When the clamp is thus placed in position, the labial jaw may be movedwith relation to the inner jaw until it is in the desired position. Thethumb-screw A is then tightened, and the jaws are firmly clamped uponthe tooth. It will be seen that by moving the labial jaw it may be madeto accommodate any desired reach or length. The ad j ustable pivotedbeak when in position also rests upon the two outer points, (indicatedat A in Fig. 4,) and hence always accommodates itself to anyirregularity of tooth-sur-' face, thus allowing the clamp to be used at'the side of the tooth as Well as at the center. This beak always firmlyengages the tooth whatever the shape of the surface may be,%

and hence when the set-screw is tightened the clamp is stable and thereis no tendency Thisl result cannot be obtained when the beak isi tion toeach other. It will be seen that I have here a simple and for it to moveto a different position.

rigid with the jaw.

eflicient dental clamp which performs the function for which such aclamp is used in an entirely satisfactory manner and at the same timewith no unnecessary pain to the patient.

I -claim 1. A dental clamp comprising an outer or labial jaw, an innerjaw provided with an opening through which the labial jaw looselypasses, a thumb-screw working in a threaded hole in said labial jaw, andbearing against the end of said inner jaw, said thumb-screw trollingmechanism by which said jaws are moved with relation to each other.

3. A dental clamp comprising alabial jaw, an inner jaw, having the innersurface of the end engaging the tooth-concave so as to conform to thelinguo-gingival ridge, said inner jaw being curved so as to pass beneaththe tooth, and provided withaloop through which said labial jaw passes,a set-screw passing through said labial jaw and engaging the inner jaw,said set-screw adapted when operated to move the two jaws with relationto each other, a beak pivotally connected with said labial jaw, andadapted to conform to the shape of the tooth substantially as described.

4. A dental clamp comprisingan inner jaw, a labialjaw connectedtherewith, having a beak pivotally connected thereto and adapted toadjust itself to the shape of the tooth when engaging the same, saidbeak provided with a series of engaging surfaces of different dimensionsso as to accommodate itself to different-sized teeth, and acontrollingmechanism by which said jaws are moved with rela- 5. A dentalclamp comprising an inner jaw, the tooth-engaging end of which is curvedslightly upward and is concave on the inner side so as to conform to thelinguo-gingival ridge of the tooth, said inner jaw being bent outwardlyso as to pass beneath the tooth and bent back upon itself so as to forma loop, a labial jaw provided with a beak pivotally connected therewith,said beak having a series of engaging surfaces so as to adapt itself toteeth of different sizes, said labial jaw projecting loosely through anopening in the loop of the inner jaw, the end of said innerjawprojecting in a line substantially parallel with the labial jaw and athumb-screw passing through said labial jaw and engaging the projectingend of said inner jaw, said thumbscrew adapted when operated to move thejaws with relation to each other.

J. AUSTIN DUNN.

Witnesses:

DONALD M. CARTER, ERANoIs M. IRELAND.

